BUILDING ACCESS POLICY AND PROCEDURES 1. PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY To enhance security in its buildings, Lehigh University controls access to all buildings by limiting and controlling the use and function of both access cards and keys issued to all faculty, staff, students, contractors, outside vendors, as well as conference and camp participants. 2. AUTHORITY FOR THIS POLICY This policy is issued by authority of the University s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Finance and Administration. 3. GENERAL BUILDING ACCESS A. Academic and Administrative Buildings In general, academic and administrative buildings are open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am and 10pm. If necessary, Deans and Department Chairpersons may adjust the hours of academic buildings to better suit a specific need(s) by filing an Hours of Operation Variance with the IDEAL Office. After- hours access to academic and administrative buildings is limited to faculty, staff, students, and contractors who have been properly authorized in advance by their Authorized Signatory (as defined in Section 4.B. below) to enter a given building or set of buildings. For buildings that are used for public events after hours, the Variance form must be filed by whoever is sponsoring the event, in order to ensure that the building is appropriately secure at the proper times. B. Residence Halls, Greek and Special Interest Housing i. University residence halls, fraternities and sororities are locked at all times and accessible only by access card or key. The Office of Residential Services ( Residential Services ), in conjunction with the IDEAL Office, will issue all access cards and keys for residence halls, fraternities and sororities. The Manager of the IDEAL Office will establish the control that the Residential Services Director approves access to residence halls in writing. An updated list should be provided to him on a monthly basis for review. This list needs to include those vendors who need and have constant access for vending purposes. ii. Nonresidents (including, but not limited to faculty, staff, contractors and outside vendors) must display visible identification issued by the IDEAL Office whenever they are in a residential facility. This may be a Lehigh ID or Vendor Access ID (see Section 8.A.)
iii. iv. Any office or authorized individual requiring an exception to item (i) above (e.g. service, construction, move-in, move-out) must get approval from the Director of Residential Services in advance of the activity. Annually the Manager of the IDEAL Office and Director of Residential Services shall visit with the ABM and SODEXO managers to review their company s control over university issued keys and access cards. 4. ACCESS CARD AND KEY DISTRIBUTION A. Students i. Residential Buildings: Residential Services, in conjunction the IDEAL Office, will manage student access card and key authorization and use for all residence halls. Student access will be limited to the residential building in which the student resides for the current academic year. All keys must be returned to Residential Services at the end of each academic year or summer session. Residential Services will keep records of issued access cards and keys. ii. Academic Buildings: As a general rule, card access and keys to academic buildings will not be issued to undergraduate students. If a Department Head requires access for undergraduate students, (s)he must provide a written request to the IDEAL Office approved by his/her Dean. The IDEAL Office will issue keys and activate card access directly to the undergraduate student and register the undergraduate as an access card or key holder in the Key/Card Management Systems. B. Faculty and Staff The IDEAL Office will manage keys and card access issued to faculty and staff that enable access to locked academic, administrative and /or unoccupied residential buildings. Faculty and staff requesting keys and/or card access must present the IDEAL Office and obtain an Access Authorization Form signed by an Authorized Signatory or an appropriate email request from an Authorized Signatory. Access Authorization Forms are available online at https://police.lehigh.edu/content/electronic-access-control-forms and they are also available for pick up at the IDEAL Office. Each of the following positions will be an Authorized Signatory under this policy: a. Assistant Vice President b. Associate Vice President c. Dean d. Department Chair e. Department Head f. Director g. President
h. Provost i. Facilities Services Building Manager or Project Manager j. Vice President k. Vice Provost Authorizing authority is limited to assigned areas of responsibility only. No Authorized Signatory will have the authority to grant access to himself/herself. Authorization must be obtained from the next level of supervision. Access to occupied residence halls may only be authorized by the Director of Residential Services or the Associate Director of Residential Services. Keys issued to faculty and staff, other than those necessary to access the building(s) and personal spaces assigned to the requestor are not to leave campus and should be stored in a secured area. C. Summer Camp and Conference Participants Conference Services, in conjunction with the IDEAL Office, will authorize and manage the issuance of access cards and keys for summer camp and conference participants. Access cards will be given unique numbers and issued directly to participants. Access cards and keys will only be valid for the duration of the camp or conference. The Director of Conference Services will notify University Police and the IDEAL Office when access cards or keys are lost. All access cards and keys will be collected upon the completion of the camp or conference. 5. MASTER ACCESS CARDS AND KEYS Master access cards and master keys are access cards and keys that open every one of a given set of locks. Requests for master access cards and keys must be submitted to the applicable Dean (for academic buildings), IDEAL Office (for administrative buildings), or the Director of Residential Services (for residence halls, fraternities and sororities). Master access cards and keys will only be issued if the requestor is able to demonstrate a clear business need. A. Limitations for Academic and Administrative Buildings i. Grand Master [Access Cards and] Keys: This level of card access and keys will be issued only to staff in the Police Department, Environmental Health and Safety, Residential Services and Facilities Services when a demonstrated need exists and the appropriate Authorized Signatory recommends issuance. (see also section 9 for additional authorized card access)
ii. iii. Building Master [Access Cards and] Keys. This level of card access and keys will be issued only to (a) Deans and (b) designated Building Managers when a demonstrated need exists and the appropriate Authorized Signatory recommends issuance. Department [Access Cards and] Master Keys. This level of card access and keys will be issued only to (a) Department Heads and (b) others when a demonstrated need exists and the appropriate Authorized Signatory recommends issuance. 6. STUDENT ACCESS CARDS AND KEYS All student access cards and keys must be deactivated (access cards) or returned (keys) at the end of each academic year, or during the academic year if a student leaves residential housing. The student must apply to have the card re-activated or the key re-issued as necessary. A. Lost or Stolen Keys Students who lose or misplace a key must comply with the following procedure: i. Lost or misplaced keys must be reported immediately the IDEAL Office during normal business hours. ii. iii. iv. If the lost key accesses a resident room door and room access is needed at times other than normal business hours, students should report the loss to their Gryphon on Duty or Fraternity or Sorority House Manager who will provide access until the lost key can be replaced or recovered. The Gryphon on Duty or Fraternity or Sorority House Manager should inquire about the identity of the student (some form of personal identification, checking with others or student databases, etc) prior to providing access. The IDEAL Office will issue a temporary key, which must be returned within twenty-four (24) hours. The IDEAL Office will notify Residential Services if the key involves a residential facility. If the key is not returned within twenty-four (24) hours, the student s ID card (access only) will be deactivated. v. If the lost key is not found and returned within twenty-four (24) hours of reporting, the affected door locks may be re-keyed and the student will be charged $50 for each door that must be re-keyed. If the lost provides access to a residential room door, re-keying is mandatory within twenty-four (24) hours of the reported loss. vi. Roommates will be issued keys for the re-keyed lock at no cost upon surrendering of keys that no longer operate the lock. If the new keys are not picked up (and the old keys returned) by the roommate within two (2) business
days, the roommate s ID card (access only) will be deactivated and the student s Bursar account will be billed $25 for the new key. When room locks are re-keyed, Access Control will place a door hanger on the door knob or lever to inform residents of the change. B. Duplication of Keys Any duplication of keys is strictly prohibited. Students who illegally duplicate keys will be billed for a lock change and referred to the Student Judicial Officer. C. Lost or Stolen ID or Access Card If your LU ID card is lost or stolen, immediately deactivate your card (Building Access, GoldPLUS, Meal Plan/Dining Dollars) by logging on the Campus Portal, Student page, My GoldPLUS portlet, "Click here to report it Immediately" link. A replacement LU ID card may be obtained at the IDEAL Office, located at 42 University Drive, during regular office hours. A $30.00 replacement fee will be charged to your Bursar account or GoldPLUS account. In the case of stolen ID cards, the replacement fee will be waived with the confirmation of, or a copy of, a police report. If your LU ID card is found after being deactivated, but before receiving a replacement, you must personally present the ID card to the IDEAL Office in order to reactivate it. Once a replacement card has been issued, all prior cards are no longer valid and cannot be reactivated. If you live on campus, and your LU ID card is lost or stolen after regular office hours or on the weekend, immediately deactivate your card (Building Access, GoldPLUS, Meal Plan/Dining Dollars) by logging on the Campus Portal, Student page, My GoldPLUS portlet, "Click here to report it Immediately" link. Then, contact a Gryphon via the building cell phone if you live in a residence hall, or contact your House Manager if you live in a fraternity or sorority. They will be able to issue you a Temporary Access Card, which will give you building access until the next business day. The Temporary Access Card must be returned to the IDEAL Office and a replacement LU ID card must be obtained (see Replacement ID Cards) the next business day. Failure to return the Temporary Access Card to the IDEAL Office the next business day will result in an additional $30.00 replacement fee charged to your Bursar account. 7. FACULTY/STAFF ACCESS CARDS AND KEYS A. Lost Access Card or Keys Employees are responsible for the access cards and keys issued to them. If an LU ID card or key is lost or damaged, the employee must notify his/her Authorized Signatory and the IDEAL Office immediately.
If your LU ID card is lost or stolen, immediately deactivate your card (Building Access, GoldPLUS, Meal Plan/Dining Dollars) by logging on the Campus Portal, Employee page, My GoldPLUS portlet, "Click here to report it Immediately" link. A replacement LU ID card may be obtained at the IDEAL Office, located at 42 University Drive, during regular office hours. In the case of stolen ID cards, the replacement fee will be waived with the confirmation of, or a copy of, a police report. If your LU ID card is found after being deactivated, but before receiving a replacement, you must personally present the ID card to the IDEAL Office in order to reactivate it. Once a replacement card has been issued, all prior cards are no longer valid and cannot be reactivated. A $30.00 replacement fee will be charged. Costs associated with lost cards or keys will be the responsibility of the employee or department granting authorization for access to the affected area. B. Duplication of Keys Any duplication of keys is strictly prohibited. C. Transfer of Keys All keys must be checked in and out of the IDEAL Office. Key transfers from one person to another are prohibited. D. Loss of Access; Termination i. Any individual who violates this policy or the terms or conditions of access is subject to disciplinary action, including but not limited to, loss of access privileges. ii. The original Authorized Signatory (or his or her successor) must notify IDEAL Office if, at any time, an individual s access is no longer required or his/her employment has been terminated. In addition, when the Payroll Office is notified, they will promptly provide notice to IDEAL Office and University Police of all terminations, retirements and other causes of faculty and staff departure from employment occurring in the ordinary course of business.
8. CONTRACTORS AND OUTSIDE VENDORS ACCESS A. Vendor Access ID s All contractors and outside vendors that perform services on Lehigh s campus must obtain a Vendor Access ID from the IDEAL Office. Prior to the issuance of the Vendor Access ID the contractor/vendor must obtain a multistate criminal history background check performed by the Pennsylvania State Police, for all of its employees performing services on Lehigh s campus. The completed background check must be submitted to Lehigh University Police Department for review. To be clear, the contractor may conduct its own pre-employment/pre-assignment criminal background check and screening. The review described in this section by the University Police shall not be construed so as to bar an individual s employment with the contractor or vendor for whom they perform services; rather, said review shall only determine whether that individual can perform those services on Lehigh s campus. If criminal activity is indicated on the background check, the record will be submitted directly to the Chief of Police for further review to determine, in the Chief of Police discretion, whether the subject of the background check may perform services on Lehigh s campus. After the University Police have completed their review, all employee background checks will be kept on file by the University Police. A Vendor Access ID will only be issued after the noted review and authorization by the University Police has been completed. Vendor Access ID cards will be provided by the Access Control Office and printed by the Lehigh IDEAL Office. The Vendor Access ID will have a term of five years from the date of issuance, after which a new authorization will be required. All contractors and vendors must immediately notify University Police if any of its employees performing services on Lehigh s campus are arrested of a crime, are dismissed from employment or resign/retire. Contractors/vendors shall also require their employees immediately disclose to the contractor/vendor, who shall promptly notify Lehigh Police, of any criminal charges, offenses, or convictions sustained by the CONTRACTOR employee. Upon such notice, University Police will notify Access Control who will immediately suspend the access for that individual, if appropriate. Vendor Access ID s are not required for United States Postal Service, UPS and FedEx delivery staff. B. Vendor Access Upon receipt of a signed Access Authorization Form or a valid University work order, purchase order, Master Services Agreement or email from an Authorized Signatory, the IDEAL Office will activate Vendor Access IDs issued to contractors and outside vendors. The IDEAL Office will issue the necessary keys for the requested building(s). Card access will be granted for normal hours of operation for the term of
the scope of the agreement for contractors and outside vendors. Issued keys must be returned daily. Vendor Access IDs cards and keys will be issued and collected at the IDEAL Office Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00am and 4:30pm. Facilities managers, maintenance staff, access control and university police on their rounds must make periodic checks verifying that vendor personnel are displaying their Vendor Access IDs and have an approved background check on file. These spot checks should be documented and reviewed by the IDEAL Office Manager and maintained for audit inspection. C. After-hours Vendor Access Contractors, outside vendors, and staff requiring emergency or scheduled after-hours access to any building must provide proof of authorization (see section 8.B.) by an Authorized Signatory (see Section 4.B.) to the IDEAL Office with advanced notice. After-hours access to academic and administrative buildings, locked spaces in academic and administrative buildings, and all residential buildings will be issued on a daily basis and keys must be returned at the end of each business day. If the work assignment begins prior to 7:00am and/or concludes after 4:30pm Monday through Friday, all keys must be picked up at and returned to the University Police. The Authorized Signatory is responsible to provide the required keys and an authorizing email to the University Police in advance of the date of need. A valid form of ID will be required to be presented and left with University Police while the keys are in the possession of the contractor/vendor. D. Failure to Return Access Keys If issued keys are not returned at the conclusion of each business day, the IDEAL Office will contact the applicable contractor or vendor to request the immediate return of the issued keys. If the contractor or outside vendor cannot be reached, the IDEAL Office will (i) immediately disable the card access on the Vendor Access ID, and/or (ii) notify the Authorized Signatory who will advise the contractor or vendor to immediately return the keys and warn the contractor or vendor that further instances will jeopardize their eligibility to perform services on Lehigh s campus. E. Lost or Stolen Vendor Access IDs or Keys Contractors, outside vendors are responsible for the access cards and keys issued to them. If a Vendor Access ID card or key is lost or damaged, the employee must notify his/her Authorized Signatory and the IDEAL Office immediately. A replacement Vendor Access ID card or key card may be obtained at the IDEAL Office, located at 42 University Drive, during regular office hours. In the case of stolen ID cards, the replacement fee will be waived with the confirmation of, or a
copy of, a police report. If your Vendor Access ID card is found after being deactivated, but before receiving a replacement, you must personally present the old ID card to the IDEAL Office in order to reactivate it. Once a replacement card has been issued, all prior cards are no longer valid and cannot be reactivated. A $50.00 replacement fee will be charged. Costs associated with lost cards or keys will be the responsibility of the Vendor/Contractor who was granted the authorization for access to work in the affected area. 9. EMERGENCY RESPONDER ACCESS Unrestricted (24 hour, all buildings) card access will be granted to Lehigh University Police Department. 10. ACCESS DENIAL; APPEAL A. Denials The IDEAL Office Manager will deny any access card or key request that such Manager determines may pose a security risk. Students, faculty and staff may appeal this determination. B. Student Appeals Students who are denied access by the IDEAL Office Manager may contest the determination by submitting a written statement of appeal to the Director of Residential Services, who will review the matter and make a written determination. If the student is not satisfied with such determination, (s)he has an additional right of appeal to the Vice Provost for Student Affairs. The Vice Provost will review the appeal and consult with the Chief of Police before making a final determination. C. Faculty Appeals Faculty members who are denied access by the IDEAL Office Manager may contest the determination by submitting a written statement of appeal to the Dean of their College, who will review the matter and make a written determination. If the faculty member is not satisfied with such determination, (s)he has an additional right of appeal to the Provost. The Provost will review the appeal and consult with the Chief of Police before making a final determination.
D. Staff Appeals 11. RECORDS Staff members who are denied access by the IDEAL Office Manager may contest the determination by submitting a written statement of appeal to the Chief of Police Services, who will review the matter and make a written determination. If the staff member is not satisfied with such determination, (s)he has an additional right of appeal to the Vice President for Finance and Administration. The Vice President will review the appeal and consult with the Chief of Police before making a final determination. Authorization records will be kept on file with IDEAL Office and/or the Office of Residential Services, as appropriate. 12. INTERNAL AUDIT The University s Internal Audit Office will conduct periodic reviews of the access card and key issuance practices to ensure that they are consistent with this policy.